WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. – U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel, (D-N.Y.) a member of the Subcommittee on Health for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, applauded CVS Health for ending tobacco product sales at its 7,700 stores nationwide earlier than expected.

The drugstore chain, which changed its name Thursday from CVS to CVS Health, said earlier this year it would stop the sale of tobacco products in October. Thursday, the store said the products are no longer available.

“I commend CVS Health for their commitment to end tobacco sales, and for doing so nearly a month ahead of their announced schedule,'' Engel said. "Smoking is a serious public health crisis, and an estimated 480,000 people die each year from tobacco-related illnesses. Smokers also have a higher risk of developing lung cancer, heart disease or suffering from a stroke than non-smokers. Pharmacies are on the front lines of delivering quality care to consumers. CVS Health voluntarily chose to eliminate tobacco sales from its 7,700 retail and pharmacy stores because selling cigarettes and other such products runs counter to its central mission. I encourage other pharmacies to follow this powerful example.”

In April, Rep. Engel urged the National Association of Chain Drug Stores to push its members to stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products in their stores.

Oh please. The food aisles at CVS are loaded with the worst junk food. They have candy bars at the counter for impulse shopping. This was a publicity stunt.

The worst thing that could happen to CVS is if Americans stopped eating the crap they sell, and started making better food choices. Levels of obesity, diabetes, cholesterol and related illnesses plummet, and CVS loses their best customers who spent a fortune on prescriptions.